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Town Hill Bistro is in the town of Town Hill, not Bar Harbor so don't think you can walk there. It is about a 15 minute ride through breathtaking scenery. Of course, we were there when the leaves were turning so it was beauty everywhere we looked. This is a small restaurant with about 10 tables. It is rustic and independent and they do things their way. The customer is not always right. The service is hit or miss, or at least it was the night we were there. We split an appetizer-lobster and shrimp in a miso sauce which was excellent. Then we both had mixed green salad. I was told that I could not have my dressing on the side because the dressing was tossed with the salad. Odd. I have never had a fine dining establishment tell me that before. But as I said, they do things their way.

My companion had a pork loin sans bone with a peach glaze over it, Yukon gold potatoes and a delicious salad of peas, tomatoes, red onion and cucumber with a vinaigrette on it. The salad was the perfect accompaniment to the robust pork loin. I had Pork Shank Adobo, the special that night, with garlic mashed potatoes and same cold salad of peas etc. It was all delicious.

We decided on dessert because we did have that long drive and deserved it! My choice was the house special Tiramisu which was divine and my companion had a slice of spiced gingerbread with a caramel sauce. I let him have my whipped cream for it. He thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful. The coffee though was only so so.

I would have given Town Hill Bistro an excellent rating for the food, but the waiter was very lackadaisical and the feel in of the place was not warm and welcoming. One almost got the feeling that we were not wanted, just tolerated. Whatever its shortcomings though, the food makes it a very worthwhile and delicious place to go.

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Thank Jean H

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

The building it's in is small, but don't let that fool you. This place packs a lot of awesomeness in a small package. Do be warned, the size makes reservations essential. It is also located a little ways outside of town, but it is definitely worth the drive.

The service is casual but solidly attentive and professional. Overall, the ambiance is causal, just like Bar Harbor is in general, but there is a subtle artistic element that adds color and interesting elements to the space without being overbearing or loud. I also found that due to the limited number of tables available, the noise level was just right.

The best is saved for last, the food. Every course was excellent. The dishes offered inventive twists if not being entirely different from anything we had ever had. My wife's seafood stew (for lack of a better description) with pearl couscous and the most delicately yet delicious fresh herb seasoned broth was spectacular. I do not typically like seafood, but I liked her dish! The desserts were marvelous as well. We enjoyed our drinks quite a bit and were also impressed by the range offered by the bar and wine cellar given the size of the restaurant.

If you only do one "high end" meal while in Bar Harbor, have it at Town Hill Bistro.

1 Thank frac81

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Little did I know that this restaurant has one of the highest ratings in Bar Harbor when I made my reservations. I found the reservations when I stopped to ask directions. And it smelled wonderful and I was very attracted to the simple, but elegant atmosphere. Do make reservations. We dropped in one night and discovered that they had no seating for that evening. We made reservations for the following evening.Their menu covered a very nice range of tastes and seemed to be seasonal. We had starters, main courses (large plates), and desert. All were excellent.

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1 Thank De M

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

We always try to have dinner at Town Hill when we visit MDI. The people there are always so friendly, and the food is great. The decor is warm and pleasing--very relaxing. We shared a fantastic dessert!! It was a cocoa gingerbread with caramel sauce.

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Thank Cynthia S

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

It's a 15-minute drive from downtown and occupies an old wooden house/store. Not very large (maybe a dozen tables inside a more outside) with a nice fireplace and down-home atmosphere. My wife had the fish special (cod) for the night and declared it the best fish dish she's ever had (and she's had plenty!) - thick, moist and perfectly seasoned. I had the pork which was slightly dry but great taste. Wine selection was nice and reasonably priced (for a restaurant). All-in-all, our best dinner in 10 days in Maine.

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Thank donandcee46

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC